Midwest Direct Gets Big Results from Address Resolution Service

BCC's list-enhancing resource adds value to an Ohio-based mailer's solution set

Midwest Direct was founded in 1982 with a focus on MLOCR processing and mail sorting. That core business continues today, but a broader postal emphasis has been in effect since the mid-1990s: data-processing, addressing and direct mail services are all part of the company's offerings. Today the Cleveland, OH, based firm handles a diverse client base including insurance and real estate companies, school districts and local government agencies.

For as long as Midwest Direct has been involved in mail preparation, BCC Software has been its partner—first with the original DOS version of Mail Manager software, then later with the PC-based solution that is now augmented by an array of powerful options and services. One of the newest additions to Midwest Direct's BCC solution set is Address Resolution Service (ARS), which complements traditional CASS encoding to further improve address quality and boost the number of deliverable records within a list.

"It's been great for us—we've gotten really good results for our clients," says Bob Schieb, Midwest Direct Data Processing Manager. "We're very happy with ARS."

A proprietary offering developed by BCC and a third-party data-processing vendor, Address Resolution Service employs state-of-the-art technology and unparalleled database access to hunt down and correct address records that have been deemed undeliverable during the standard CASS / DPV encoding process. Using the Data Services Wizard within Mail Manager software, it's simple to electronically submit these undeliverable records to BCC for ARS processing. Addresses that can be corrected are returned electronically (with next-day turnaround times standard) for easy reintegration into the original lists.

Midwest Direct began using the service in late 2008, and to date has seen exceptional results for its clients. "BCC tells us to expect a typical [correction] rate of 30 percent, but as a whole we’ve gone way above that," Schieb says. "So far we've resolved ... about 52 percent of the records we've submitted."

Addresses can be found invalid during DPV processing for a number of reasons. In the case of Midwest Direct's clients, Schieb says, the typical causes involve missing address information (most often, omitted secondary data for apartment or suite numbers) and simple misspellings that can confuse the USPS database.

"We've come up with a threshold, at which point we'll recommend ARS to our clients," Schieb says. "If there's, say, 10 percent or more of addresses that come back [DPV-invalid] in a given list, we make a phone call to the customer and say, 'Would you like us to see if we can fix these records for you?'

Once the corrected records have been returned, a Midwest Direct representative will discuss the nature of the corrections to the client—including situations in which the "incorrect" address data had nothing to do with a client's actual list, but rather adjusting the record to better match existing USPS CASS data. "It can go both ways, and sometimes we have to explain it to the clients," he says. "But the bottom line is that the records are improved, and more pieces can go out at a discount."

Schieb says that ARS processing is particularly valuable to end-user mailers in specific categories: "If it's a bill shipment, they'll definitely say... 'Run it through ARS', or a [retail] store looking to make as many sales as they can. The closer they are to a goal of 100 percent [deliverability], the more likely they are to want the extra work done."

Midwest Direct is committed to address quality improvement for its clients, and regularly takes advantage of list-enhancing BCC Data Services, particularly NCOA^Link FSP processing, which compares list data against the USPS Change-Of-Address database as a mandated form of protection against the staggering industry problem of Return Mail designated Undeliverable As Addressed.

"BCC's Support team is definitely very good," Schieb says of the customer service personnel dedicated Link exclusively to NCOA , ARS and other Data Services issues. "We never have any problems with that—it's good to be able to count on."

As address quality becomes an increasingly essential business consideration for mailers and their clients, Midwest Direct is well prepared to deliver for its clients—thanks to Address Resolution Service and other Data Services from BCC Software.

At a Glance

Client

• Midwest Direct

Headquarters

• Cleveland, OH

Specialization

• Full Service Mailing & Fulfillment

BCC Solution Set

• Mail Manager with options:
  √ TaskMaster
  √ Job Manager
  √ Bound Printed Matter / Parcel Post
  √ Mail.dat
  √ Palletization Suite
• FSP Unlimited NCOA^Link Processing